Last time, we looked at a legend in basketball. A man who did things on the court the right way, and more importantly, did and does things now off the court the right way. Our first look was at "The Admiral" David Robinson. Now we look at a legend in baseball, Cal Ripken Jr.

Of course, we all know about the streak.  Well, maybe not all of us.  10 years ago, my mom was in a conference in Baltimore and one of the perks was getting free tickets to an Orioles game.  She does not follow sports and nothing surprised her at the game, well, except for one thing. 

She could not believe the ovations Ripken got everytime he made a fielding play or when he stepped up to the plate.  The ladies she was at the game with did not have a clue as to why this guy was being worshipped either.  So they decided to ask a couple fans beside them.  Luckily, these fans were Orioles season ticket holders who gave them a 4 inning tutorial on what Ripken meant to the Orioles.  They learned about the streak, the Ripken way, how Cal helped save baseball after the strike and anything else they wanted to know.  Talking to my mom later, she goes " Oh, that's the guy they made that fuss about when he broke that record, right? He seems like a really nice guy, they really love him in Baltimore."

It stretches past Baltimore though.  "The Ironman" is one of the most respected athletes ever.  Playing 2,632 consecutive games will cement your legacy.  What helped everyone love Cal was the way he didn't draw attention to himself, the fact he just went about his business without needing to draw extra attention to himself.  One of my favorite sporting memories to this day is watching Ripken having to be pushed out onto the field to accomadate the affection being poured out to him when he broke the streak against the California Angels.  He didn't crave the spotlight, but understood why people appreciated the way he conducted himself.

On the field, the awards and numbers are staggering:

• 1982 American League Rookie of the Year
• 1983 American League M.V.P.
• 1983 World Series Champion
• M.L.B. career record in:
• Consecutive games played-2,632
• All team games played-15 straight from 1983-1997
• Homeruns for a shortstop-345
• Started 17 straight All Star games
• Started an A.L. record 19 games
• Led All Star voting 4 times
• All Star M.V.P. in 1999 and 2001
• M.L.B. record for double plays by a shortstop with 1,565
• 2 time A.L. Gold Glove Winner-1991, 1992
• Ended career with a .276 average, 431 homeruns and 3,189 hits

To no one's surprise, as soon as Cal was eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame, he got 98.53% of the vote.  Cal was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this past summer and helped draw the biggest crowd ever to see any induction with over 75,000 fans.

As much success as Cal had on the field, he is respected just as much for what he has done off the field.  He is part owner of two minor league baseball teams.  His contributions to Lou Gehrig's disease are well documented.  The Cal Ripken Sr. foundation was founded by brother Billy and Cal Jr. to give less fortunate children across the country an opportunity to attend baseball camps around the country and better learn the game of baseball.  Ripken Baseball operates for profit-camps and designs ballfields for youth, college and professional teams. 

It's no wonder that when I wear a Ripken jersey my mom bought for me when she was in Baltimore, I get nods of approval and smiles.  And I live in Michigan, where people love the Tigers.  Everyone loves Cal though.  How can you not?

I'd like to thank and salute Cal Ripken Jr. for being one of the good guys in sports.

( All stats and info courtesy of the Washington Post and the Sporting News)

Sick of showboating athletes?  Sick of ME first guys?  Sick of hearing about all the negativity in sports today?  Yeah, me too.

Not having any interesting ideas to write about, I think I'll give this a shot. Having just read mtmarinerfan's post asking where the classy athletes have gone, inspired me to write a series on the good guys.  My objective here is to take a look at the guys who made headlines for what they did on the field and the way they carried themselves off of it. 

So no talk of scandals, steriods or stupidity.  We're going to talk about the guys who clearly made a difference.  I'm going to start with David Robinson, with future write-ups including Cal Ripken, Joe Dumars, and I'll gladly take suggestions as to more guys who should get praise for the way they carried themsleves on and especially off the field or court. 

David Robinson was one of my favorite athletes to watch.  There was something different about him.  Maybe it's because he was left-handed.  Maybe it's because he has one of the best nicknames,"The Admiral". Maybe it's because he was underappreciated playing in the same generation as Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Shaquille O'Neal.  I can't really pinpoint one reason as to why David stood out to me, probably because there are so many.

Make no mistake, this guy was dominant.  So dominant that the San Antonio Spurs drafted him knowing that they would have to wait 2 years for him to play an NBA game.  ( Robinson attended the Naval Academy and honored a 2 year commitment after his graduation to the Navy) So dominant he once blocked 14 shots in one college game.  So dominant he once scored 71 points in an NBA game.  So dominant he turned around the San Antonio Spurs franchise. 

The thing I appreciate the most about David Robinson is the way he spoke.  There was no um, uh, duh, yeah, yup when he spoke.  I'm not ripping on anyone who uses those words, I've used them all today.  When you want an athlete to represent your city, you want him or her to be well spoken and be articulate.  If you remember Robinson interviews or press conferences, he was always able to get his point across and have you say to yourself " I wish more athletes spoke and acted like him."

On the court, his accomplishments are many:

• Olympic gold medals in 1992,1996 and a bronze medal in 1988 playing for U.S.A. basketball
• 2 time NBA champion for the San Antonio Spurs in 1999 and 2003
• Rookie of the Year in 1990
• Voted one of the 50 greatest players in N.B.A. history in 1996
• Recipient of the N.B.A. Sportsmanship Award in 2001
• Defensive Player of the Year in 1992
• 10 time N.B.A. All Star
• 4 time All-N.B.A. First team
• 2 time All-N.B.A. Second team
• 4 time All-N.B.A. Third team
• 4 time All N.B.A. Defensive first team
• 4 time All N.B.A. Defensive second team
• Recorded the rare quadruple double against Detroit with 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assisits and 10 blocks on February 17 1994
• N.B.A. Scoring Champion in 1993-1994

For a guy who accomplished so much on and off the court, I salute David " The Admiral" Robinson as one of the good guys in sports.

( All statistics courtesy of NBA.com)